Protective casings for parking meters



Jan. 25, 1966 J F. WELLEKENS PROTECTIVE GASINGS FOR PARKING METERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 23, 1964 INVENTOR.

10 John FWeLLekems 1966 J. F. WELLEKENS PROTECTIVE CASINGS FOR PARKING METERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 23, 1964 John F.We

diiarrgy United States Patent 3,231,180 PROTECTIVE CASINGS. FOR PARKTNG METERS John F. Wellekens, Staten Island, N.Y.,,as signor to Hotel Security Systems Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 398,555 2 (Zlaims. (Cl. 232-15) This invention relates to parking meters and more .particularly, to a protective means for the coin-collection receptacle of the parking meter.

Certain types of parking .meters have a housing or casing which contains in its upper portion the coin-controlled timing mechanism and below this ,part of the housing is formed a part 'which constitutes the coin-collection chamber. .Such a coin-collection receptacle is generallyformed .asa part ofthe housing, and access to the interior of the housing :toreach the coins collected therein is had through a pivoted door provided with a lock.

Thieves have found it relatively easy to reach the interior of the coin-collection chamber by either prying oi? the door leading thereto or else by breaking the door or other parts of the chamber by blows inflected upon it.

i ,It is an object of the present invention to-safeguard the coin-collection chamber of a parking meter of this kind by enclosing the same in astrong, sturdy vault-like enclosure or. casing which is fitted around the collection chamber and without requiring material alteration of the parking meter housing other than the removal of the pivoted door of the collection chamber.

It is an object of the invention to provide means by which such an enclosure can be fitted around the coinoollection chamber in the form of a; two-part collar located between the upper part of the parking meter housing and the-supporting post, whereby the protective casing or enclosure can be fitted in position upon the parking meter without requiring the removal of the parking meter from its supporting post or the dismantling of the meter ,so that a parking meter possessing the weakness of being susceptible to easy 'pilfering can be made relatively impregnable by the quick application of aprotective casing constructed as herein described.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I have devised the arrangement of parts to be described and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a parking meter provided with the improved protective casing as constructed according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the same;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the same, with the door or cover member of the casing shown in its open position;

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view, taken substantially on the line 4d of FIG. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the casing as applied to a parking meter, with parts broken away and other parts shown in section to disclose construction;

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the casing in position on a parking meter;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 7-7 of FIG. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows, and

FIG. 8 shows the two halves of the casing separated from one another.

The parking meter shown in the drawings is one of a number of types to which the present invention is applicable, and in the form shown, it is provided with a .down for access to the mechanism contained within the head portion ,of the housing. A lock 35 (FIG. l) is provided for the door .4.

Extending downwardly from thetop or head portion 2 of the housing is an extended hollow neck 6 (FIG. '5 the interior of which forms a coin-collection chamber 7.

.Said chamber usually holds a cup or other small removable receptacle not shown, but in which the coins deposited through a suitably-positioned coin slot fall, and the cup later removed by a. collector and emptied: of its contents. The coin-collection chamber 7' is,'in a meter of the type illustrated, normally closed by means of a hinged door provided at the front of the chamber on the neck portion 6 of the housing. This door normally closes a front opening 8 (FIG. 4) in the neck portion-6 of the meter housing, and it is opened by the collector when engaged in theremoval of the collected coins. Said door, which is not shown in the drawings because it is removed when the protective casing. is fitted in place, is provided with a lock to prevent its opening except by authorized persons. i i

The nature of the material from whichthe door is made, and the mannerlin whichthe .door'is fitted on the neck portion of the housing is such that thieves have found it possible to either pry the door open to secure access to the contents of the coin-collection chamber 7 or else to smash the-door by blows inflicted upon it. The present invention therefore involves the .encasing of the coin-collection chamber ,in a strong, sturdy and relatively impregnable vault-like casing, making unauthorized access to the coin-collection chamber extremely difficult if not impossible.

The lower end of the n ck portion 60f the housing 1 terminates in a tapered part9 which fits into the upper end or" the tubular supporting post 10 as shownin FIG. 5, said post having its lower end usually mounted in a flange that is afiixed to ,thepavernent. The tapered part 9 may be secured in the upper end ofthe post by pins or in any other known manner.

The protective casing forming the subject matter of the present invention is composed of two parts or sections shown respectively at 11 and 12. The part 11 constitutes the rear part of the casing and the same encloses the rear portion of the neck 6 to which t is attached by means of screws 13 which pass through the rear wall 14 (FIG. 4) of the neck 6 and enter the thickened or reinforced part 15 of the back section 11 of the casing. The screws 13 can be inserted from within the neck 6 before the front section 12 of the casing is fitted in place and the screws 13 are therefore not visible on the exterior of the back casing section 11. The front section 12 of the protective casing fits around the front part of the neck 6 below the hinge 5 and this section of the casing includes a peripheral flange 16 which abuts against a similar flange 17 that is provided peripherally on the rear section 11.

inserted in the joint between the flanges 16 and 17 is a rod 36 composed of a hardened material, acting to block the insertion of a tool between the flanges for the purpose of prying apart the two casing sections 11 and 12.

Each of the casing sections 11 and 12 is provided at its lower end with a semi-circular part or segment, that shown at 19 being formed on the front casing section 12 and that shown at 18 being provided on the rear casing section 11. The two arcuate parts 18 and 19 are held together in a manner to enable them to embrace the top of the post 10 between them, by means of screws or bolts 20 which are extended through holes provided in the casing sections, and in which the screws are countersunk, with such holes thereafter plugged to cause the screw to be rendered inaccessible and removable only by authorized persons drilling out the plugs.

I The lower semi-circular segments 18 and 19 are clamped around the post by means of screws 21 which extend through lugs 22 provided on the parts 18 and 19. A hardened insert 23 is located in the joint between the post-engaging parts 18 and 19 for the purpose heretofore pointed out in respect to the rods 36. In addition to being secured to the post 10 by being clamped thereon, the casing sections 11 and 12 are secured to the post by a pin 24 passing through the part 19 and extending through the post.

I The front section 12 of the casing is provided with a front opening 25 through which access to the coin-collection chamber is had, said opening being normally closed by a cover or door 26. The cover or door 26 is hinged to the front section 12 by a known toggle arrangement '27 which includes linkage and a pivoted plate 28, and

which permits the door to be not only swung down as shown in FIG. 3, but also to be raised upwardly to permit easy access to the interior of the coin-collection chamber to enable the coin cup therein to be reached, emptied and then replaced in the chamber.

The door 26 is adapted to be locked when closed, by means of a suitable lock 29 opened by a key inserted through keyhole 30. A lock very suitable for the purpose is that shown in my co-pending application Serial No. 355,011, which lock is provided with means by which its combination can be very quickly changed when desired.

, The two sections 11 and 12 of the casing may be composed of ductile iron of great strength or of other ma- :terial, and these parts are of substantial thickness so that the casing, when placed around the coin-collection chamber, constitutes an enclosure of exceptional sturdiness and vault-like impregnability. As a result, the collected coins can be safely stored and fewer coin removals will be found necessary. A feature of the device resides in the fact that meters presently in use and having pregnable coin-collection chambers can be quickly converted to strong-box safety by means of the protective casing herein described. In the installation of the casing it is not necessary to remove the meter from its supporting post nor make any substantial changes in the housing of the meter except to remove the door on the collection chamber.

While I have described the protective casing as applied to a particular type of parking meter, it will be apparent that the casing can be readily applied to meters or similar instruments without requiring material changes in" the described embodiment.

Having thus described a single embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. A parking meter having a tubular supporting post, a meter housing provided at its lower end with a tapered part fitting downwardly into the interior of the post, said housing containing coin-controlled timing mechanism in its upper portion and having a coin-collection chamber located in the housing below the timing mechanism, a protective enclosure fitted around and enclosing the coincollection chamber, said enclosure consisting of two separate parts, one which is located at the front of the coincollection chamber and the other at the rear thereof, said parts meeting in a joint extending along the sides of the enclosure, hardened inserts in said joint and extending coextensively therewith at the sides of the enclosure, the front section of the enclosure being provided with a movable door containing locking means, the coin-collection chamber being open at its front behind said door so that access to said chamber is had through the open door of the enclosure, the coin-collection chamber having a rear wall abutting the back of the rear section of the enclosure, and fastening elements placed from the inside of the coincollection chamber and attaching the back wall of the said chamber to the back of the protective enclosure.

2. A parking meter according to claim 1, wherein the lower end of the enclosure terminates in a collar fitting around the outside of the post, lugs'on said collar, fastening elements extending through the lugs to clamp the collar around the post, and a pin extending through the front part of the collar andentering through the post to anchor the front part of the enclosure to the post.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,623,689 12/1952 Barlick 232--25 3,026,022 3/1962 Curry 23216 3,034,704 5/1962 Janson 232-15 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

I. S. PETRIE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PARKING METER HAVING A TUBULAR SUPPORTING POST, A METER HOUSING PROVIDED AT ITS LOWER END WITH A TAPERED PART FITTING DOWNWARDLY INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE POST, SAID HOUSING CONTAINING COIN-CONTROLLED TIMING MECHANISM IN ITS UPPER PORTION AND HAVING A COIN-COLLECTION CHAMBER LOCATED IN THE HOUSING BELOW THE TIMING MECHANISM, A PROTECTIVE ENCLOSURE FITTED AROUND AND ENCLOSING THE COINCOLLECTION CHAMBER, SAID ENCLOSURE CONSISTING OF TWO SEPARATE PARTS, ONE WHICH IS LOCATED AT THE FRONT OF THE COINCOLLECTION CHAMBER AND THE OTHER AT THE REAR THEREOF, SAID PARTS MEETING IN A JOINT EXTENDING ALONG THE SIDES OF THE ENCLOSURE, HARDENED INSERTS IN SAID JOINT AND EXTENDING COEXTENSIVELY THEREWITH AT THE SIDES OF THE ENCLOSURE, THE FRONT SECTION OF THE ENCLOSURE BEING PROVIDED WITH A MOVABLE DOOR CONTAINING LOCKING MEANS, THE COIN-COLLECTION CHAMBER BEING OPEN AT ITS FRONT BEHIND SAID DOOR SO THAT ACCESS TO SAID CHAMBER IS HAD THROUGH THE OPEN DOOR OF THE ENCLOSURE, THE COIN-COLLECTION CHAMBER HAVING A REAR WALL ABUTTING THE BACK OF THE REAR SECTION OF THE ENCLOSURE, AND FASTENING ELEMENTS PLACED FROM THE INSIDE OF THE COINCOLLECTION CHAMBER AND ATTACHING THE BACK WALL OF THE SAID CHAMBER TO THE BACK OF THE PROTECTIVE ENCLOSURE. 